


White Knight: The Movie

by AZGirl



Category: Magnum P.I. (TV 2018)
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Friendship, Gen, Multiple Endings, Variations on a theme
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-04-17
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:29:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23336914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AZGirl/pseuds/AZGirl
Summary: When Magnum and the others learn the White Knight books might be made into movies, they discuss who they’d like to play their characters. Each chapter will have a different twist of this idea.
Comments: 25
Kudos: 39





	1. 50 Percent

**Author's Note:**

> I hope everyone is being/staying safe and isn't getting too stir-crazy. 
> 
> I got stuck on how to finish this story, because I had too many possible ideas. Instead of choosing only one, I’ve gone ahead and tackled several. The basic idea is the same, and some parts are repeated in each story, but I’ve tried to make little changes between versions aside from the endings.
> 
> Takes place post episode 2.03 “Knight Lasts Forever.”

**ooooooo**

“Really, the novelist has the best casting since he doesn’t have to cope with the actors and all the rest.” ~~~~~ Alfred Hitchcock

**ooooooo**

**Version One: 50 Percent**

“Robin called me earlier,” Thomas said as he sat down on a chair in the living room, a bottle of beer in his hand.

“Oh, yeah?” Rick said as he reached for a handful of pretzels. “How’s our favorite number one bestselling author?”

Magnum took a drink of his beer. “Doing good. Working on his next novel.” Thomas sank a bit more into his chair. “He wanted to warn me that he’s in talks with a couple of studios to have the White Knight books made into movies.”

T.C. choked on his beer and started coughing, Rick patting his back as his friend tried to get it together again. After another minute, T.C. said, “Seriously?”

Thomas sent T.C. a look, asking if his friend was truly alright, getting a nod and grin in reply.

Rick glanced at T.C., looking relieved, before he shrugged. “It makes sense. Books as successful as Robin’s get made into movies all of the time.”

“And with multiple books, they already have built in sequels if the first one is a success,” Thomas said, nodding at what his best friend just said.

“Did Robin say how likely it would be that a deal would be made?” T.C. asked.

“Still too early to say. Robin said he wants writing the screenplay as part of the deal, but he’s not sure either of the studios will go for that.”

Thomas couldn’t help but hope the whole thing fell through. It was bad enough there were books based on him, but to have them turned into movies somehow seemed so much worse since the estate was invaded and Juliet tortured for information.

“T.C., if the deal does go through and _Queen’s Gambit_ is made into a movie, who would you want to play your character?” Rick asked.

After several moments of T.C. looking thoughtful, his expression changed to one anyone would recognize as a ‘lightbulb moment.’ “Chadwick Boseman would be good. Or, no, even better would be that Michael something Jordan guy.”

“Dude, aren’t those the actors from _Black Panther_?”

“And what is wrong with that, Rick? They were both pretty bad ass in that movie. I’d even be happy with the guy from that TV show, you know; the one who played the dad of Jordan’s character in that dream sequence.” T.C. was about to take a sip of his beer when he pointed the bottle towards his friends instead. “Did you ever see him on that show _Supernatural_? Played Gordon. Guy is a great actor.”

“ _Supernatural_? You watch that show?”—Rick lightly punched T.C.’s shoulder—“How did I not know that? I love that show.”

Thomas hadn’t known that about either of his friends. “I thought that show was cancelled long ago.”

“Naw man,” T.C. replied. “It’s still on.”

“For now,” Rick added, looking slightly subdued. “It’s ending this year. I’m going to miss that show.”

Magnum knew if he let them, they’d get into a long discussion about favorite episodes, story arcs, or whatever other minutiae they could come up with. When they’d all been in Iraq, his friends would get into these drawn out conversations about their mutual favorite TV shows despite being half a season or more behind on most of them. Despite not really wanting to talk about dream casting the White Knight characters, he wanted to hear about _Supernatural_ even less, so he decided to try and get the conversation back on track.

“I don’t know T.C…. Those actors might not work. Can they do comedy? Because you know whoever writes the screenplay is probably going to take further liberties with your character.”

T.C. chuckled. “Wouldn’t surprise me. The books rarely take what our characters look like into account. For the movies, that means they could hire any actor – or actress – they want.”

“Don’t be too sure about that. You know Robin will want to keep the integrity of the characters, especially if he writes the screenplay,” Rick said.

“Not sure that’s the best idea, to be honest. Book authors aren’t always the best at screenplay writing. Just look at—”

Magnum rolled his eyes at how quickly his friends had gone off track. “Guys! Can we get back on topic? Dream casting. Remember? Rick, you’re up.”

Thomas had barely finished speaking when Rick said, “Brad Pitt.”

“Yeah, that’s not going to happen,” T.C said with a chuckle.

“What? Why not? The guy is a good actor. Just won an Oscar.”

“And that’s exactly why he won’t be playing your character. Besides the fact that he’s in his 50s, Pitt’s asking pricing will be too high for a while. Do you really think the studio is going to use up that much of the movie’s budget on an actor that’s basically going to be playing a supporting role?” T.C. shook his head. “No, man. They’re going to spend the dough on the actor who is going to play the White Knight.”

Looking slightly downcast, Rick nods after a moment. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”—Rick scratched at the stubble on his face—“Matthew McConaughey? He can do comedy.”

“Might work,” Magnum said, with a thoughtful expression on his face. “Though he might also be too expensive.”

“If I stick to T.C.’s theme, then how about… Chris Evans? Chris Hemsworth? Chris Pine?”

“Not gonna happen.”—T.C. chuckled—“Besides, one of those is not like the others,” T.C. concluded in a sing-songy kind of voice.

“Bradley Cooper? Matt Damon? Woody Harrelson?”

Thomas started chuckling as T.C. lightly pushed over a grinning Rick. “Just give it up, man.”

“So, Thomas. Who do you want to play the White Knight?” T.C. asked.

Thomas’s mouth engaged before his brain and he blurted out, “Tom Selleck.”

“Tom Selleck?! Isn’t that guy in his 70s?”

“Yeah. So what? Harrison Ford is going to be in another Indiana Jones movie and he’s about the same age, so why can’t Selleck play me?”

Rick’s face morphed to one of sympathy. “Tommy, I know you used to watch Selleck’s TV show with your mom, but you have to know it’s not going to happen. Whatever studio picks this movie up is most likely going to skew the cast much younger. Ya know, for potential sequels.”—Rick grinned—“Besides, I doubt he’d be willing to shave off his mustache.”

“Who says he has to?”

“He’s got you there, Rick,” T.C. said.

Magnum knew it was unlikely someone like Selleck would be able to play the White Knight, but he still couldn’t help feel disappointed. Thomas missed his mother so much sometimes; having the actor in the movie, even if the man didn’t play the title character, would be a great little homage to their weekly ritual of watching the show. 

Thomas sighed and felt he was going to regret asking his next question. “Well, who do you guys think should play the White Knight?”

Rick shrugged, but T.C. chuckled. “How about Benecio del Toro, Diego Luna, or Oscar Isaac?”

“Really, T.C…. Another themed list?” Rick held up a hand. “Not that I don’t like your ideas, of course.”

T.C. rolled his eyes. “Of course.”

Magnum thought it was funny how T.C.’s mind could work at times. He’d really liked the character of Poe in the newer Star Wars movies, so he wasn’t too opposed to the idea of Oscar Isaac, but he wasn’t too certain about Benecio del Toro. If Selleck was too old, then wasn’t del Toro?

Something T.C. said not that long ago occurred to him. Unless the movie deal specifically required the studios to hire people resembling the physical characteristics of the characters, then it didn’t matter how much they dream casted. Their choices were likely never going to happen. The studio will hire who the studio wants to hire.

Thomas felt Rick nudging his knee. When he looked up, Rick said, “What are ya thinking there, bud? You went quiet on us.”

Taking a sip of his beer and then shrugging, he replied. “I was just thinking that this conversation is basically pointless. It’s—”

“Many of your conversations are basically pointless, Magnum,” a snarky voice from behind them interrupted.

When they turned around, Juliet was entering the guest house through the patio, the doors left open to let in the island breeze.

Thomas rolled his eyes. “Thanks Higgins.”

“Come on now, Higgy. Don’t be mean,” Rick said. “We were just talking about who could play our characters if they make the White Knight series into movies.”

“Movies? Really? When did Mr. Masters inform you of this possibility?”

“This morning. He wanted to keep me in the loop, especially after that incident with Ivan’s mercs.”

“So, which actors did you gents come up with?”

T.C. quickly recounted their choices, ending with how Thomas was just about to explain why this particular conversation was essentially pointless.

“Those are some…interesting choices,” Juliet said, “but I think you are forgetting about 50% of the possibilities.”

Sitting forward, Thomas put his nearly empty bottle beer on the table. “You mean they could gender bend the White Knight?”

“Why not?” Higgins said as she shrugged.

“Why not?” Rick said. “Because the character is a male in the books; that’s why. It’s never going to happen.”

ooooooo

**_Three years later…_ **

When Robin shared the news about who was going to play the White Knight, Thomas actually wasn’t too surprised. What did surprise him was Juliet’s reaction – she never had one.

Because the first book was written in Hawai’i, the powers that be had decided it would be great publicity to have a special premiere in O’ahu. Of course, Los Angeles still hosted the world premiere, but it was a nice gesture in his opinion. However, it created a nightmare for him in terms of security for Robin, who was attending the premiere. Thankfully, Masters only needed him for security in terms of the estate and had brought over the guys from the Los Angeles premiere for the event in O’ahu, so Thomas could still attend the screening and not have to worry about Robin’s safety.

Still, he has to be careful to stay out of the limelight. Ivan might know the White Knight was based on him, but the majority of the rest of the world didn’t need to know that. Plus, due to his job as a private investigator, he needed to stay as anonymous as possible – or as anonymous as anyone could be when they drive a red Ferrari.

They were all Robin’s guests, but they don’t sit with the man, and to be extra safe, they split up into two groups. After finally being seated, there’s a humorous introduction by Robin before the movie begins.

When the White Knight first showed up on screen and _she_ was midway through attempting to save a foreign dignitary from a gruesome death, Juliet leaned over and very quietly said, “I told you so.”

Thomas had to work very hard not to laugh out loud and disrupt the movie.

ooooooo

**_The end._ **

**ooooooo**


	2. Acting Your Age

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A different outcome to the story you read in the last chapter. Little changes were made here and there to the base story to hopefully keep things interesting.

**ooooooo**

**Version Two: Acting Your Age**

“Robin called me earlier,” Thomas said as he sat down on a chair in the living room, a bottle of beer in his hand.

“Oh, yeah?” Rick said as he reached for a handful of popcorn. “How’s our favorite number one bestselling author?”

Magnum took a drink of his beer. “Doing good. Working on research for his next novel.” Thomas sank a bit more into his chair. “He wanted to warn me that he’s in talks with a couple of studios to have the White Knight books made into movies.”

T.C. choked on his beer and started coughing, Rick patting his back as his friend tried to get it together again. After another minute, T.C. said, “Seriously?”

Thomas sent T.C. a look, asking if his friend was truly alright, getting a nod and grin in reply.

Rick glanced at T.C., looking relieved, before he shrugged. “You gotta admit it makes sense. Books as successful as Robin’s get made into movies all of the time.”

“And with multiple books, they already have built in sequels if the first one is a success,” Thomas said, nodding at what his best friend just said.

“Did Robin say how likely it would be a deal would be made?” T.C. asked.

“Still too early to say. Robin said he wants writing the screenplay as part of the deal, but he’s not sure either of the studios will go for that.”

Thomas couldn’t help but hope the deal fell through. It was bad enough there were books based on him, but to have them turned into movies somehow seemed so much worse ever since the estate was invaded and Juliet tortured for information. He still felt guilty about Kumu and Juliet being in that situation because of him.

“T.C., if the deal does go through and _Queen’s Gambit_ is made into a movie, who would you want to play your character?” Rick asked.

After several moments of T.C. looking thoughtful, his expression changed to one anyone would recognize as a ‘lightbulb moment.’ “Chadwick Boseman would be good. Or, no, even better would be that Michael something Jordan guy.”

“Dude, aren’t those the actors from _Black Panther_?”

“And what is wrong with that, Rick? They were both pretty bad ass in that movie. I’d even be happy with the guy from that TV show, you know; the one who played the dad of Jordan’s character in that dream sequence.” T.C. was about to take a sip of his beer when he pointed the bottle towards his friends instead. “Did you ever see him on that show _Supernatural_? Played Gordon. Guy is a great actor.”

“ _Supernatural_? You watch that show?”—Rick lightly punched T.C.’s shoulder—“How did I not know that? I love that show.”

Thomas hadn’t known that about either of his friends. “I thought that show already went off the air.”

“Naw man,” T.C. replied. “It’s still on.”

“For now,” Rick added, looking slightly subdued. “It’s ending this year. Fifteen seasons…”—Rick sighed—“I’m going to miss that show.”

Magnum knew if he let them, they’d get into a long discussion about favorite episodes, story arcs, or whatever other minutiae they could come up with. When they’d all been in Iraq, his friends would get into these drawn out conversations about their mutual favorite TV shows despite being half a season or more behind on most of them. Despite not really wanting to talk about dream casting the White Knight characters, he wanted to hear about _Supernatural_ even less, so he decided to try and get the conversation back on track.

“I don’t know T.C…. Those actors might not work. Can they do comedy? Because you know whoever writes the screenplay is probably going to take further liberties with your character.”

T.C. chuckled. “Wouldn’t surprise me. The books rarely take what our characters look like into account. For the movies, that means they could hire anyone they want.”

“Don’t be too sure about that. You know Robin will want to keep the integrity of the characters, especially if he writes the screenplay,” Rick said.

“Not sure that’s the best idea, to be honest. Book authors aren’t always the best at screenplay writing. Just look at—”

Magnum rolled his eyes at how quickly his friends had gone off track. “Guys! Can we get back on topic? Dream casting. Remember? Rick, you’re up.”

Thomas had barely finished speaking when Rick said, “Brad Pitt.”

“Yeah, that’s not going to happen,” T.C said with a chuckle.

“What? Why not? The guy is a good actor. Just won an Oscar.”

“And that’s exactly why he won’t be playing your character. Besides the fact that he’s in his 50s, Pitt’s asking pricing will be too high for a while. Do you really think the studio is going to use up that much of the movie’s budget on an actor that’s basically going to be playing a supporting role?” T.C. shook his head. “Not likely, man. They’re going to spend the dough on the actor who is going to play the White Knight.”

Looking slightly downcast, Rick nodded after a moment. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”—Rick scratched at the stubble on his face—“Matthew McConaughey? He can do comedy.”

“Might work,” Magnum said, with a thoughtful expression on his face. “Though he might also be too expensive.”

“If I stick to T.C.’s theme, then how about… Chris Evans? Chris Hemsworth? Chris Pine?”

“Not gonna happen.”—T.C. chuckled—“Besides, one of those is not like the others,” T.C. concluded in a sing-songy kind of voice.

“Bradley Cooper? Matt Damon? Woody Harrelson?”

Thomas started chuckling as T.C. lightly pushed over a grinning Rick. “Just give it up, man.”

“So, Thomas. Who do you want to play the White Knight?” T.C. asked.

Thomas’s mouth engaged before his brain and he blurted out, “Tom Selleck.”

“Tom Selleck?! Isn’t that guy in his 70s?”

“Yeah. So what? Harrison Ford is going to be in another Indiana Jones movie and he’s about the same age, so why can’t Selleck play my character?”

Rick’s face morphed to one of sympathy. “Tommy, I know you used to watch Selleck’s TV show with your mom back when you were a kid, but you have to know it’s not going to happen. Whatever studio picks this movie up is most likely going to skew the cast much younger. Ya know, for potential sequels.”—Rick grinned—“Besides, I doubt he’d be willing to shave off his mustache.”

“Who says he has to?”

“He’s got you there, Rick,” T.C. said.

Magnum knew it was highly unlikely someone like Selleck would be able to play the White Knight, but he still couldn’t help feel disappointed. Thomas missed his mother so much sometimes; having the actor in the movie, even if the man didn’t play the title character, would be a great little homage to their weekly ritual of watching the show. 

Thomas sighed and felt he was going to regret asking his next question. “Well, who do you guys think should play the White Knight?”

Rick shrugged, but T.C. chuckled. “How about Benecio del Toro, Diego Luna, or Oscar Isaac?”

“Really, T.C…. Another themed list?” Rick held up a hand. “Not that I don’t like your ideas, of course.”

T.C. rolled his eyes. “Of course.”

Magnum thought it was funny how T.C.’s mind could work at times. He’d really liked the character of Poe in the most recent Star Wars movies, so he wasn’t too opposed to the idea of Oscar Isaac, but he wasn’t too certain about Benecio del Toro. If Selleck or Pitt were too old, then wasn’t del Toro?

Something T.C. said not that long ago occurred to him. Unless the movie deal specifically required the studios to hire people resembling the physical characteristics of the characters in the book, then it didn’t matter how much they dream casted. Their choices were likely never going to happen. The studio will hire who the studio wants to hire.

Thomas felt Rick nudging his knee. When he looked up, Rick said, “What are ya thinking there, bud? You went quiet on us.”

Taking a sip of his beer and then shrugging, he replied. “I was just thinking that this conversation is basically pointless. It’s—”

“Pointless?” Rick said, interrupting Thomas. “Sure, our choices happening are about as likely as a lightning strike, but we’re having fun – right? Enjoying our beers. Relaxing.”

T.C. pats Rick on the shoulder. “The man’s right Thomas. Reality has no say in this, so just have fun with it.”

Thomas debated with himself for a moment before replying. He shrugged and said, “You’re right. Thanks, guys. So… Who do you think will play the villain?”

ooooooo

**_Eleven months later…_ **

When his phone rings, Thomas checks the caller ID and sees that it’s Robin calling him.

“Hey, Robin. What’s up?”

“I’m about half way through my next book, but that’s not why I called. I just got some news about the White Knight movie and thought you should hear it from me first.”

_That doesn’t sounds good_ , Thomas thinks to himself. “What news? They’re not cancelling the project are they?”

“No; it’s still ongoing. In fact, they just cast the lead…”

ooooooo

**_The next day…_ **

Because the universe hates him sometimes, when the news breaks about who is going to play the White Knight, Thomas is with Rick, T.C., and Juliet.

Rick’s phone chimes as they’re walking towards Kamekona’s shrimp truck, and he takes it out of his pocket to check it, stopping to read the screen. Seconds later, his friend busts out laughing, making the three of them turn to look at him.

T.C. asks Rick what he’s laughing at and Rick shoves his phone towards the man. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” T.C. says and laughs.

A bad feeling steels over Thomas as he says, “What?”

“They cast a 17-year-old!” Their laughing resumes and Juliet joins in after she’d looked at Rick’s phone.

Having been forewarned, Thomas needs no further explanation of that remark and continues heading towards the shrimp truck. The moment Robin told him, he knew he wouldn’t be able to live it down that an actor so young was going to play the White Knight. He’d decided right then and there to hold off on the humiliation for as long as possible and didn’t tell his friends.

He didn’t mind too much, but then again, he’d eventually have his revenge. Robin had also told him that the studio was going young for the co-stars, which meant he wasn’t going to be the only one to have their character turned into a kid.

ooooooo

**_The end._ **

**ooooooo**


	3. And the winner is...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From the title of this version, you might be able to guess what the twist is. Once again I made little changes here and there to the base story before that point.

**ooooooo**

**Version Three: And the winner is…**

“Robin called me earlier,” Thomas said as he sat down on a chair in the living room, a bottle of beer in his hand.

“Oh, yeah?” Rick said as he reached for a handful of pretzels. “How’s our favorite number one bestselling author?”

Magnum took a drink of his beer. “Doing good. About to go on a book signing tour.” Thomas sank a bit more into his chair. “He wanted to warn me that he’s in talks with a one of the studios to have the White Knight books made into movies.”

T.C. choked on his beer and started coughing, Rick patting his back as his friend tried to get it together again. After another minute, T.C. said, “Seriously?”

Thomas sent T.C. a look, asking if his friend was truly alright, getting a nod and grin in reply.

Rick glanced at T.C., looking relieved, before he shrugged. “It makes sense. Book series as successful as Robin’s get made into movies all of the time.”

“And with multiple books, they already have built in sequels – assuming the first one is a success,” Thomas said, nodding at what his best friend just said.

“Did Robin say how likely it would be the deal would be made?” T.C. asked.“Still too early to say. Robin said he wants writing the screenplay as part of the deal, but he’s not sure the studio will go for that.”

Thomas couldn’t help but hope the deal fell through. It was bad enough there were books based in part on his time in naval intelligence, but to have them turned into movies somehow seemed a very bad idea ever since the estate was invaded. He still felt guilty over what Kumu and Juliet had been through.

“T.C., if the deal does go through and _Queen’s Gambit_ is made into a movie, who would you want to play your character?” Rick asked.

After several moments of T.C. looking thoughtful, his expression changed to one anyone would recognize as a ‘lightbulb moment.’ “Chadwick Boseman would be good. Or, no, even better would be that Michael something Jordan guy.”

“Dude, aren’t those the actors from _Black Panther_?”

“And what is wrong with that, Rick? They were both pretty bad ass in that movie. I’d even be happy with the guy from that TV show, you know; the one who played the dad of Jordan’s character in that dream sequence.” T.C. was about to take a sip of his beer when he pointed the bottle towards his friends instead. “Did you ever see him on that show _Supernatural_? One of the first few seasons? Played Gordon. Guy is a great actor.”

“ _Supernatural_? You watch that show?”—Rick lightly punched T.C.’s shoulder—“How did I not know that? I love that show.”

Thomas hadn’t known that about either of his friends. “I thought that show was cancelled years ago.”

“Naw man,” T.C. replied. “It’s still on.”

“For now,” Rick added, looking slightly subdued. “It’s ending this year. I’m going to miss that show.”

Magnum knew if he let them, they’d get into a long discussion about favorite episodes, story arcs, or whatever other minutiae they could come up with. When they’d all been in Iraq, his friends would get into these drawn out conversations about their mutual favorite TV shows despite being half a season or more behind on most of them. Thomas never really knew if his brothers were aware he’d usually zone out during those conversations. Despite not really wanting to talk about dream casting the White Knight characters, he wanted to hear about _Supernatural_ even less, so he decided to try and get the conversation back on track.

“I don’t know T.C…. Those actors might not work. Do they have good delivery for comedy? Because you know whoever writes the screenplay is probably going to take further liberties with your character.”

T.C. chuckled. “Wouldn’t surprise me. The books rarely take the way our characters physical looks into account. For the movies, that means they could hire any actor – or actress – they want.”

“Don’t be too sure about that. You know Robin will want to keep the integrity of the characters, especially if he writes the screenplay,” Rick said.

“Not sure that’s the best idea, to be honest. Book authors aren’t always the best at screenplay writing. Just look at—”

Magnum rolled his eyes at how quickly his friends had gone off track. “Guys! Can we get back on topic? Dream casting. Remember? Rick, you’re up.”

Thomas had barely finished speaking when Rick said, “Brad Pitt.”

“Yeah, that’s not going to happen,” T.C said with a chuckle as he reached for the bowl of pretzels.

“What? Why not? The guy is a good actor. Just won an Oscar.”

“And that’s exactly why he won’t be playing your character. Besides the fact that dude is in his 50s, Pitt’s asking pricing will be too high for a while. Do you really think any studio is going to use up that much of the movie’s budget on an Oscar-winning actor that’s basically going to be playing a supporting role?” T.C. shook his head. “No, man. They’re going to spend the dough on the actor who is going to play the White Knight.”

Looking slightly downcast, Rick nods after a moment. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”—Rick scratched at the stubble on his face—“Matthew McConaughey? He can do comedy.”

“Might work,” Magnum said, with a thoughtful expression on his face. “Though he might also be too expensive.”

“If I stick to T.C.’s theme”—Rick grinned—“then how about… Chris Evans? Chris Hemsworth? Chris Pine?”

“Not gonna happen.”—T.C. chuckled—“Besides, one of those is not like the others,” T.C. concluded in a sing-songy kind of voice.

“Bradley Cooper? Matt Damon? Woody Harrelson?”

Thomas started chuckling as T.C. lightly pushed over a grinning Rick. “Just give it up, man.”

“So, Thomas. Who do you want to play the White Knight?” T.C. asked.

Thomas’s mouth engaged before his brain and he blurted out, “Tom Selleck.”

“Tom Selleck?! Isn’t that guy in his 70s?”

“Yeah. So what? Harrison Ford is going to be in another Indiana Jones movie and he’s about the same age, so why can’t Selleck play me?”

Rick’s face morphed to one of sympathy. “Tommy, I know you used to watch Selleck’s TV show with your mom, but you have to know it’s not going to happen. Whatever studio picks this movie up is most likely going to skew the cast much younger.”—Rick shrugged—“Ya know, for potential sequels. Besides, I doubt he’d be willing to shave off his mustache.”

“Who says he has to?”

“He’s got you there, Rick,” T.C. said before popping a couple of pretzels into his mouth and eating them.

Magnum knew it was unlikely someone like Selleck would be able to play the White Knight, yet he still couldn’t help but feel disappointed. Thomas missed his mother so much sometimes; having the actor in the movie, even if the man didn’t play the title character, would be a great little homage to their weekly ritual of watching the show. 

Thomas sighed and felt he was going to regret asking his next question. “Well, who do you guys think should play the White Knight?”

Rick shrugged, but T.C. chuckled. “How about Benecio del Toro, Diego Luna, or Oscar Isaac?”

“Really, T.C…. Another themed list?” Rick held up a hand. “Not that I don’t like your ideas, of course.”

T.C. rolled his eyes. “Of course.”

Magnum thought it was funny how T.C.’s mind could work at times. He’d really liked the character of Poe in the newer Star Wars movies, so he wasn’t too opposed to the idea of Oscar Isaac, but he wasn’t too certain about Benecio del Toro. If Selleck was too old, then wasn’t del Toro?

Something T.C. said not that long ago occurred to him. Unless the movie deal specifically required the studios to hire people resembling the physical characteristics of the characters in the book, then it didn’t matter how much they dream casted. Their choices are likely never going to happen. The studio will hire who the studio wants to hire, though it would be interesting to have Robin write the script which might influence some of the decisions regarding casting.

Thomas felt Rick nudging his knee. When he looked up, Rick said, “What are ya thinking there, bud? You went quiet on us.”

Taking a sip of his beer and then shrugging, he replied. “I was just thinking that this conversation is basically pointless. It’s—”

“Pointless?” Rick said, interrupting Thomas. “Sure, our choices happening are about as likely as a one of us winning the lottery, but we’re having fun – right? Enjoying our beers. Relaxing.”

T.C. clapped Rick on the shoulder. “The man’s right Thomas. Reality has no say in this, so just have fun with it.”

Thomas debated with himself for a moment before replying. He shrugged and said, “You’re right. Thanks, guys. So… Who do you think will play the villain?”

ooooooo

**_Three years later…_ **

Because the first book was written in Hawai’i, and the screenplay written by the author of the book, the powers that be had decided it would be great publicity to have a special premiere in O’ahu. Of course, the mainland hosted the world premiere, but it’s still a nice gesture in his opinion. However, it creates a nightmare for him in terms of security for Robin, who is attending the premiere. Thankfully, Masters only needs him for security in terms of the estate and has brought over the guys from the Los Angeles premiere for the event in O’ahu, so he can still attend the screening and not have to worry about Robin’s safety.

Still, he has to be careful to stay out of the limelight. Ivan might know the White Knight was based on him, but the majority of the rest of the world doesn’t need to know that. Plus, due to his job as a private investigator, he’d needed to stay as anonymous as possible – or as anonymous as anyone can be when they drive a red Ferrari.

They are all Robin’s guests, but they don’t sit with the man, and to be extra safe, they split up into smaller groups. After they are seated, there’s a humorous introduction by Robin before the movie starts.

The movie has had a lot of great hype so far, and as he watches it, Thomas can see why. Robin had managed to do a tremendous job adapting his own book. The plot had been streamlined, the character moments increased, the action scenes had gone big but were still fairly realistic, and that song over the opening credits was fantastic. A relative unknown was cast as the White Knight, but the man had done an excellent job with both the acting and the action. Thomas would be surprised if the movie didn’t make a lot of money in the box office. It would be an even bigger surprise if there were no sequels made.

ooooooo

**Six months later…**

Thomas is awakened out of a dream, bordering on nightmare about his time in captivity, by his phone ringing. Opening his eyes and working on calming his breathing, he picks up his phone off the bedside table. The caller ID shows Robin’s name and suddenly he’s much more awake than he would normally be at o-dark thirty in the morning after having been up late working on a case with Juliet.

“Robin, what’s wrong?” Thomas asked, wincing slightly at his scratchy, sleep-heavy voice.

“Wrong? Why—?”—there’s a brief pause and Thomas hears some scratching sounds before he hears some cursing—“O my God, Tommy. I’m so sorry. I forgot about the time difference. I was just so excited and had to give you the good news.”

Now that he knew Robin wasn’t in trouble, Thomas couldn’t help being a little bit annoyed, but then a remnant of his dream flashed in his mind, and it disappeared instantly.

“What news?”

“I just got nominated for an Oscar! For best adapted screenplay. Can you believe it?”

“That’s great, man! Congratulations!” Thomas said, genuinely happy for the for the first time nominee.

“It’s all thanks to you, Rick, and T.C.”

“No, my friend. It was all your hard work. We just provided some ideas.”

“The best ideas.”

Though Thomas was happy for Robin, he was still pretty exhausted and wanted to wrap up the conversation.

“Thanks for letting me know. Are you calling the guys, or do you want me to tell them?”

ooooooo

**Five weeks later…**

“Thanks for hosting the Oscar party here in the main house, Juliet. I didn’t think we’d have enough room for everyone in the guest house.”

“You are quite welcome, Magnum. I’m curious to see if Robin will manage to pull it off and win the award.”

“I think it’s a long shot, but after the movie won best original song for Adelaide’s “Landfall,” I guess anything’s possible.”

“Tommy, Jules. They’re about to announce the winner for Robin’s category.”

The two went over to stand behind the couch as Bradley Cooper announced the nominees for best adapted screenplay.

“…This year’s nominated writers added new life to novels, memoirs, and characters from comic books. Here are the nominees for Best Adapted Screenplay… _Queen’s Gambit_. Screenplay by Robin Masters. Based on his novel _White Knight: Queen’s Gambit_.”—Bradley Cooper opens the envelope and smiles—“And the Oscar goes to…”

ooooooo

**_The end._ **

**ooooooo**


	4. Theme Scheme

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ll let you know one of the two twists for this version up front: I rewrote things to include Juliet from the beginning instead of her coming in later on.

**ooooooo**

**Version Four: Theme Scheme**

“Robin called me earlier,” Thomas said as he sat down on a chair in the living room, a bottle of beer in his hand.

“Oh, yeah?” Rick said. “How’s our favorite number one bestselling author?”

“Are you talking about Mr. Masters?” a voice from behind them said.

The three men turn to see Juliet entering the guest house through the patio, whose doors had been left open in order to let in the ocean breeze. She was carrying a couple of bags of take out; Magnum got up to help her distribute the food.

In between bites of food, Juliet asked, “So what did Mr. Masters say?”

Magnum took a drink of his beer to help wash his food down. “Robin mentioned how he was researching some things for his next novel.” Thomas sank a bit more into his chair. “And then he wanted to warn me that he’s in talks with a couple of studios to have the White Knight books made into movies.”

Juliet started laughing, but stopped, looking alarmed when T.C. choked on his beer and began coughing. Rick patted his back as his friend tried to get it together again. After another minute, T.C. said, “Seriously?”

Thomas sent T.C. a look, asking if his friend was truly alright, getting a nod and grin in reply. Juliet sent the larger man a relieved smile.

Rick glanced at T.C., also looking relieved, before he shrugged. “It makes sense. Books as successful as Robin’s get made into movies all of the time.”

“And if the first one is a success, the other books make for built in sequels,” Thomas said, nodding at what his best friend just said.

“Did Robin say how likely it would be that a deal would be made?” T.C. asked.

“Still too early to say. Robin said he wants writing the screenplay as part of the deal, but he’s not sure either of the studios will go for that.”

Thomas couldn’t help but hope the deal fell through. It was bad enough there were books based on him and missions he’d been on throughout his career, but to have them turned into movies somehow seemed so much worse ever since Juliet was tortured for information by Ivan’s hired guns.

Juliet’s expression suddenly changed to one of worry, which had Thomas believing she was also concerned about the White Knight’s identity being exposed to the world.

“T.C., if the deal does go through and _Queen’s Gambit_ is made into a movie, who would you want to play your character?” Rick asked.

After several moments of T.C. looking thoughtful, his expression changed to one anyone would recognize as a ‘lightbulb moment.’ “Chadwick Boseman would be good. Or, no, even better would be that Michael something Jordan guy.”

“Dude, aren’t those the actors from _Black Panther_?”

“And what is wrong with that, Rick? They were both pretty bad ass in that movie. I’d even be happy with the guy from that TV show, you know; the one who played the dad of Jordan’s character in that dream sequence.” T.C. was about to take a sip of his beer when he pointed the bottle towards his friends instead. “Did you ever see him on that show _Supernatural_? Played Gordon in one of the first few seasons. Guy is a great actor.”

“ _Supernatural_? You watch that show?”—Rick lightly punched T.C.’s shoulder—“How did I not know that? I love that show.”

“I’ve not heard of that program before,” Juliet said. “I presume its subject manner is rather self-explanatory given that title?”

“You got it, Higgy. Urban legends, ghosts, vampires, and the whole gamut of world mythology.”

“I see,” Juliet said, looking thoroughly unimpressed and not at all interested. “That explains why I’ve never seen an episode.”

“But Jules, it’s great. It’s not just about what T.C. mentioned; it’s two brothers dedicated to those they care about and to ‘saving people, hunting things, the family business.’”

Magnum knew if he let them, Rick and T.C. would get into a long discussion about favorite episodes and story arcs all in the name of trying to convince Juliet to give the show a try. Back when they’d all been overseas, not only would his friends get into these drawn out conversations about their mutual favorite TV shows but they would attempt to get others hooked on them as well. Despite not really wanting to talk about dream casting the White Knight movies, he wanted to hear about _Supernatural_ even less, so he decided to try and get the conversation back on track.

“I don’t know T.C…. Those actors you mentioned might not work. How are they at comedy? Because you know whoever writes the screenplay is probably going to take further liberties with your character.”

T.C. chuckled. “Wouldn’t surprise me. The books rarely take what our characters look like into account. For the movies, that means they could hire anyone they want.”

“Don’t be too sure about that. You know Robin would want to keep the integrity of the characters, especially if he writes the screenplay,” Rick said.

“Not sure that’s the best idea, to be honest. Book authors aren’t always the best at screenplay writing.”

“I quite agree,” Juliet said. “It reminds me of the maxim ‘don’t judge a book by its movie.’ In fact, I can think of a certain British—”

Magnum rolled his eyes at how quickly his friends had gone off track. “Hey! Can we get back on topic? Dream casting. Remember? Rick, you’re up.”

Thomas had barely finished speaking when Rick said, “Brad Pitt.”

“Yeah, that’s not going to happen,” T.C said with a chuckle.

“What? Why not? The guy is a good actor. Just won an Oscar.”

“And that’s exactly why he won’t be playing your character. Besides the fact that he’s in his 50s, Pitt’s asking pricing will most certainly be too high for a while. Do you really think any studio is going to use up that much of the movie’s budget on an actor that’s basically going to be playing a supporting role?” T.C. shook his head. “No way, man. They’re going to spend the dough on the actor who is going to play the White Knight.”

Looking slightly downcast, Rick nods after a moment. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”—Rick scratched at the stubble on his face—“Matthew McConaughey? He can do comedy.”

“Might work,” Magnum said, with a thoughtful expression on his face. “Though he might also be too expensive.”

“If I stick to T.C.’s theme, then how about… Chris Evans? Chris Hemsworth? Chris Pine?”

“I very much doubt that is going to happen either,” Juliet said.

“Besides, one of those is not like the others,” T.C. added in a sing-songy kind of voice before beginning to chuckle.

“Bradley Cooper? Matt Damon? Woody Harrelson?”

Thomas started chuckling as T.C. lightly pushed over a grinning Rick. “Just give it up, man.”

“So, Thomas. Who do you want to play the White Knight?” T.C. asked.

Thomas’s mouth engaged before his brain and he blurted out, “Tom Selleck.”

“Tom Selleck? Isn’t that guy in his 70s?”

“Yeah. So what? Harrison Ford is going to be in another Indiana Jones movie and he’s about the same age, so why can’t Selleck play me?”

“I can think of several reasons, including—”

“Come on now, Higgy. Don’t be mean,” T.C. said.

Thomas rolled his eyes when Juliet smirked and raised her hands in surrender. She might have given up for the moment, but Magnum was convinced he’d hear those reasons at a time when he was least expecting it.

Rick’s face morphed to one of sympathy. “Tommy, I know you used to watch Selleck’s TV show with your mom when you were a kid, but you have to know it’s not going to happen. Whatever studio picks this movie up is most likely going to skew the cast much younger. Ya know, for potential sequels.”—Rick grinned—“Besides, I doubt he’d be willing to shave off his mustache.”

“Who says he has to?”

“He’s got you there, Rick,” T.C. said.

Magnum knew it was unlikely someone like Selleck would be able to play the White Knight, but he still couldn’t help feel disappointed. Thomas missed his mother so much sometimes; having the actor in the movie, even if the man didn’t play the title character, would be a great little homage to their weekly ritual of watching the show. 

Thomas sighed and felt he was going to regret asking his next question. “Well, who do you guys think should play the White Knight?”

Rick shrugged, but T.C. chuckled. “How about Benecio del Toro, Diego Luna, or Oscar Isaac?”

“Really, T.C…. Another themed list?” Rick held up a hand. “Not that I don’t like your ideas, of course.”

T.C. rolled his eyes. “Of course.”

Magnum thought it was funny how T.C.’s mind could work at times. He’d really liked the character of Poe in the newer Star Wars movies, so he wasn’t too opposed to the idea of Oscar Isaac, but he wasn’t too certain about Benecio del Toro. If Selleck was too old, then wasn’t del Toro?

Looking over at Juliet, he could see the wheels turning in her mind, and was almost afraid to ask who she thought should play his character. Knowing her, she’d likely choose actors completely inappropriate or unbelievable to be the White Knight just to taunt him.

However, because he was apparently a glutton for punishment, Thomas decided to ask anyway. “Higgins? What do you think?”

Juliet shifted in her chair and smirked. “Jude Law. Eddie Redmayne. Daniel Radcliffe.”

Rick clapped his hands together in apparent glee while laughing and then pointed his finger towards Higgins. “I see what you did there.”

Magnum didn’t get it at first, but suddenly it dawned on him – they were all British...and Harry Potter related. Seriously? Another theme?

“What is Harry Potter?” T.C. said as if he were a contestant on Jeopardy.

Higgins dipped her head in acknowledgement, and added, “Benedict Cumberbatch. James McAvoy. Tom Hiddleston.”

“Not that I don’t love the Marvel theme you got going there,” Rick said before continuing speaking using a British accent, “but can any of those _blokes_ speak with a decent American accent?”

Thomas ignored Juliet’s no doubt snarky response as something T.C. said not that long ago occurred to him. Notwithstanding Juliet’s attempt at a British-actor invasion, unless the movie deal specifically required the studios to hire people resembling the physical characteristics of the character, then it didn’t matter how much they dream casted. Their choices were likely never going to happen. The studio will hire who the studio wants to hire.

Thomas felt Rick nudging his knee. When he looked up, Rick said, “What are ya thinking there, bud? You went quiet on us.”

Taking a sip of his beer and then shrugging, he replied. “I was just thinking that this conversation is basically pointless. It’s—”

“Many of your conversations are basically pointless, Magnum,” Juliet said. “But that doesn’t mean this particular one isn’t at least mildly entertaining.”

“You know…” Thomas said with a grin and a particular glint in his eye that could only mean trouble. “There is one main character that’s not been cast yet – the villain.”—all three men turned to look at Juliet—“Who do you think should play her, Higgins?”

“Why are you asking me?” Juliet replied, looking mildly offended. “Just because the villain is a female and I’m the only female here —”

“Aw, come on, Higgy,” T.C. interrupted. “Do you really want us to cast such an important role?”

Higgins sighed. “Well, when you put it that way…” Juliet trailed off, obviously thinking of possibilities. After a couple of sips of her beer, she suddenly had a mischievous look in her eye. “Scarlett Johansson. Brie Larson. Gal Gadot.”

Magnum groaned out loud in frustration. “Ugh... Not another theme. Please. Stop.”

Higgins grinned and then laughed with Rick and T.C. briefly joining in before they began a discussion about the merits of each actress and their ability to do action scenes. Magnum couldn’t take it any longer and decided to head out towards the beach, grabbing another beer as he went out the door. Maybe he’d get lucky and the movie wouldn’t get made.

ooooooo

**_Eleven months later…_ **

Of course, he wasn’t that lucky. The movie deal went through with Robin being allowed to write the script. Several weeks ago, Robin had relayed a rumor going around Hollywood about a possible stunt casting scheme, but since then there had been no news.

When his phone started ringing, Thomas checks the caller ID and sees that Robin Masters is calling him. _Speak of the devil_ , Magnum thinks as he answers the phone.

“Hey, Robin. What can I do for you?”

“I was working on the next draft of the screenplay, when I got some news about the White Knight movie and thought you should hear it from me first.”

_That doesn’t sounds good_ , Thomas thinks to himself. “What news? They’re not cancelling the project are they?”

“No; it’s still ongoing. In fact, they just cast the leads…”

ooooooo

**The next day…**

Because the universe hates him sometimes, when the news breaks about who is going to play the leads in the White Knight movie, Thomas is with Rick and T.C..

Rick’s phone chimes as they’re walking towards Kamekona’s shrimp truck. Seconds later, his friend busts out laughing, and says, “OMG! No way!”

“What?” T.C. said as he stepped over to Rick who was reading something on his phone. After a moment, T.C. laughs and says, “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Hungry, or was that _hangry_ , for some shrimp, Thomas says, “What?”

“The studio went with a theme to cast the White Knight movie,” T.C. replied.

“All three actors are from _Supernatural_! That’s freakin’ awesome,” Rick said, and then his expression shifted. “I can’t believe they stole our idea.”

“What are you talking about?” T.C. said. “No one stole—”

Thomas decided not to wait for his friends and continued heading towards the shrimp truck, knowing it might be a while before the two men finished talking about the casting of Jensen Ackles, Jared Padelecki, and Misha Collins to play the characters based on them. At least the two had found out before they’d all sat down to eat, so he could enjoy his meal and wouldn’t have to hear about them talking about the reunion of the cast from one of their all-time favorite TV shows.

ooooooo

**_The end._ **

**ooooooo**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In my time zone, I’m posting this just in time for the return of Magnum PI on our TV screens.


	5. The Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be the final version of this story, and it’s one I think is really appropriate to be the last installment.

**ooooooo**

**Version Five: The Meeting**

“Robin called earlier,” Thomas said as he sat down on a chair in the living room, a bottle of beer in his hand.

“Oh, yeah?” Rick said as he reached for a handful of pretzels. “How’s our favorite number one bestselling author?”

Magnum took a drink of his beer. “Doing good. Taking a couple of weeks off of writing.” Thomas sank a bit more into his chair. “He wanted to warn me that he’s in talks with a few studios to have the White Knight books made into movies.”

T.C. choked on his beer and started coughing, Rick patting his back as his friend tried to get it together again. After another minute, T.C. said, “Seriously?”

Thomas sent T.C. a look, asking if his friend was truly alright, getting a nod and grin in reply.

Rick glanced at T.C., looking relieved, before he shrugged. “It makes sense. Book series as successful as Robin’s get made into movies all of the time.”

“And if the first one is a success, the other books make for built in sequels,” Thomas said, nodding at what his best friend just said.

“Did Robin say how likely it would be a deal would be made?” T.C. asked.

“It’s early days yet. Robin said he wants him writing the screenplay as part of the deal, but he’s not sure any of the studios will go for that.”

Despite knowing Robin would be disappointed, Thomas couldn’t help but want the deal to fall through. It was bad enough there were books based in part on his missions with his brothers, but to have them turned into movies somehow seemed a very bad idea ever since the estate was invaded. He still felt guilty over what Kumu and Juliet had been through.

“T.C., if the deal does go through and _Queen’s Gambit_ is made into a movie, who would you want to play your character?” Rick asked.

After several moments of T.C. looking thoughtful, his expression changed to one anyone would recognize as a ‘lightbulb moment.’ “Chadwick Boseman would be good. Or, no, even better would be that Michael something Jordan guy.”

“Dude, aren’t those the actors from _Black Panther_?”

“And your point is? They were both pretty bad ass in that movie. I’d even be happy with the guy from that newer TV show, you know; the one who played the dad of Jordan’s character in a few scenes.” T.C. was about to take a sip of his beer when he pointed the bottle towards his friends instead. “Did you ever see him on that show _Supernatural_? Played Gordon in one of the first few seasons. Guy is a great actor.”

“ _Supernatural_? You watch that show?”—Rick lightly punched T.C.’s shoulder—“How did I not know that? I love that show.”

Thomas hadn’t known that about either of his friends. “I thought that show ended years ago.”

“Naw man,” T.C. replied. “It’s still on.”

“For now,” Rick added, looking slightly subdued. “It’s actually ending this year. I’m going to miss that show.”

Magnum knew if he let them, they’d get into a long discussion about favorite episodes, story arcs, or whatever other minutiae they could come up with. Back when they’d all been overseas, not only would his friends get into these drawn out conversations about their mutual favorite TV shows but they would attempt to get others hooked on them as well. Thomas never really knew if his brothers were aware he’d usually zone out during those conversations. Despite not really wanting to talk about dream casting the White Knight characters, he wanted to hear about _Supernatural_ even less, so he decided to try and get the conversation back on track.

“I don’t know T.C…. How good are those actors at comedy? Because you know whoever writes the screenplay is probably going to take further liberties with your character.”

T.C. chuckled. “Wouldn’t surprise me. The books rarely take the way our characters physical looks into account, so just about anybody could be hired.”

“Don’t be too sure about that. If Robin writes the screenplay, he’ll want to keep the integrity of the characters intact as much as possible,” Rick said.

“Not sure that’s the best idea, to be honest. Book authors aren’t always the best at screenplay writing. Just look at—”

Magnum rolled his eyes at how quickly his friends had gone off track. “Guys! Can we get back on topic? Dream casting. Remember? Rick, you’re up.”

Thomas had barely finished speaking when Rick said, “Brad Pitt.”

“Yeah, that’s not going to happen,” T.C said with a chuckle as he reached for the bowl of pretzels.

“What? Why not? The guy is a good actor. Just won an Oscar.”

“And that’s exactly why he won’t be playing your character. Besides the fact that dude is in his 50s, Pitt’s asking pricing will be too high for a while. Do you really think any studio is going to use up that much of the movie’s budget on an Oscar-winning actor that’s basically going to be playing a supporting role?” T.C. shook his head. “No, man. They’re going to spend the dough on whoever is going to play the White Knight.”

Looking slightly downcast, Rick nods after a moment. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”—Rick scratched at the stubble on his face—“Matthew McConaughey? He can do comedy.”

“Might work,” Magnum said, with a thoughtful expression on his face. “Though he might also be too expensive – and a little on the older side.”

“If I stick to T.C.’s theme”—Rick grinned—“then how about… Chris Evans? Chris Hemsworth? Chris Pine?”

“Not gonna happen.”—T.C. chuckled—“Besides, one of those is not like the others,” T.C. concluded in a sing-songy kind of voice.

“Bradley Cooper? Matt Damon? Woody Harrelson?”

Thomas started chuckling as T.C. lightly pushed over a grinning Rick. “Just give it up, man.”

“So, TM. Who do you want to play the White Knight?” T.C. asked.

Thomas’s mouth engaged before his brain and he blurted out, “Tom Selleck.”

“Tom Selleck?! Isn’t that guy in his 70s?”

“Yeah. So what? Harrison Ford is going to be in another Indiana Jones movie and he’s about the same age, so why can’t Selleck play me?”

Rick’s face morphed to one of sympathy. “Tommy, I know you used to watch Selleck’s TV show with your mom, but you have to know it’s not going to happen. I doubt any studio that picks up this movie is going to cast anyone who can’t handle the action scenes. They’re going to go younger for any potential sequels.”—Rick shrugged—“Besides, I doubt he’d be willing to shave off his mustache.”

“Who says he has to?”

“He’s got you there, Rick,” T.C. said before chuckling.

Magnum knew it was unlikely someone like Selleck would be able to play the White Knight, yet he still couldn’t help but feel disappointed. It actually didn’t matter to him all that much if Selleck played the title character, but it would be a great to see him in some role or another. Thomas missed his mother so much sometimes, and even though he couldn’t help it, he still hated himself for not being there for her when she died. It would be a nice little homage to their weekly ritual of the two of them watching the show together if Selleck could be in the movie. 

Thomas sighed and felt he might regret asking his next question. “Well, who do you guys think should play the White Knight?”

Rick shrugged, but T.C. chuckled. “How about Benecio del Toro, Diego Luna, or Oscar Isaac?”

“Really, T.C…. Another themed list?” Rick held up a hand. “Not that I don’t like your ideas, of course.”

T.C. rolled his eyes. “Of course.”

Magnum thought it was funny how T.C.’s mind could work at times. He’d really liked the character of Poe in the newer Star Wars movies, so he wasn’t too opposed to the idea of Oscar Isaac, but he wasn’t too certain about Benecio del Toro. If Selleck was too old, then wasn’t del Toro?

Something T.C. said not that long ago occurred to him. Unless the movie deal specifically required the studios to hire people resembling the physical characteristics of the characters in the book, then it didn’t matter how much they dream casted. Their choices are likely never going to happen. Besides, it wouldn’t surprise him if one or more of the interested studios didn’t already have someone in mind to play the lead role.

Thomas felt Rick nudging his knee. When he looked up, Rick said, “What are ya thinking there, bud? You went quiet on us.”

Taking a sip of his beer and then shrugging, he replied. “I was just thinking that this conversation is basically pointless. It’s—”

“Pointless?” Rick said, interrupting Thomas. “Sure, the odds of our choices actually happening are pretty much nil, but we’re having fun – right? Enjoying our beers. Relaxing. Burgers on the grill later. More relaxing.”

T.C. grinned and clapped Rick on the shoulder. “The man’s right Thomas. Reality has no say in this, so just have fun with it.”

Thomas debated with himself for a moment before replying. He shrugged, smiled, and said, “You’re right. Thanks, guys. So… Who do you think will play the villain?”

ooooooo

**_Three years later…_ **

Because the first book was written in Hawai’i, and the screenplay written by the author of the book, the powers that be had decided it would be great publicity for the movie to have a special premiere in O’ahu. Of course, the mainland was going to host the world premiere, but it’s still a nice gesture in his opinion. However, it creates a nightmare for him in terms of security for Robin, who is attending multiple premieres for the movie.

At first, Robin only needs him for security in terms of the estate, but several weeks before the film’s premiere in Los Angeles, Masters asks for a favor. The man’s head of security for the mainland premieres had a family emergency and wouldn’t be able to complete his contract, so Thomas was asked to fill in.

He’s tempted to say no, because of his job as a private investigator, where he needed to stay as anonymous as possible – or as anonymous as anyone can be when they drive a red Ferrari – but in the end, he can’t do it. Robin rarely asks for favors, and he felt he still owed the man for the Ferrari destroyed while in pursuit of Nuzo’s killers. He did ask if he could bring one of his friends with him to help out, as he didn’t know the men that had been hired and wanted backup just in case. Robin, however, surprised him by suggesting both Rick and T.C. accompany him to Los Angeles.

Thomas felt guilty for leaving his partner behind to handle the estate’s security while he was gone, but Juliet didn’t seem to be too annoyed with having to deal with things by herself. Besides, he would be back in more than enough time to finish prepping for Robin’s visit.

ooooooo

**_A month later_ …**

Wearing a dark suit, with a dark shirt and tie, plus a pair of mirrored sunglasses, Thomas shadowed Robin as he made his way up the red carpet at the Dolby Theatre* in the Hollywood and Highland Center in Los Angeles. Rick was up ahead near the main entrance, while T.C. was waiting for them in the lobby; the other members of the security team where stationed at various other points, including keeping a guard on the limousine they’d arrived in.

Thomas was stationed on the ground floor of the theatre during the showing of the movie. He’d originally planned on being the one to roam the theatre looking for possible threats, but Rick begged for the job, probably thinking he’d see lots of beautiful women that way.

As he’d taken position, he’d spotted someone in the audience he hadn’t expected to see there – Tom Selleck. The actor had been given the small role of the boss of the White Knight’s immediate superior, a character which had so far only showed up in two of the books.

Thomas had been both excited and ecstatic when he’d heard Selleck had taken the job, given the fact the man rarely made films anymore and seemed content with working on his TV show, which filmed in New York City. He couldn’t believe the actor would make the trek all the way across country for the west coast premiere, but ultimately it didn’t matter. It was just a treat to see Selleck both in person and on the big screen, and he was happy his wish that the actor would be in the movie had been granted.

ooooooo

**_Several hours later_ …**

Due to his job, Thomas hadn’t been able to pay attention to the entire movie, but from what he had seen, Robin had done an excellent job at adapting his own book. The plot had been streamlined, the character moments increased, the action scenes had gone big but were still fairly realistic, and that song over the opening credits was fantastic. A relative unknown was cast as the White Knight, but the man had done an excellent job with both the acting and the action. Thomas would be surprised if the movie didn’t make a lot of money in the box office. It would be an even bigger surprise if there were no sequels made.

At the moment, Robin and his security were stuck at the after party, with Masters being inundated with various members of the Hollywood elite. Thomas was taking his turn walking the perimeter, when T.C. radioed in, requesting his presence inside. T.C.’s voice didn’t sound stressed, so he was fairly certain it wasn’t an emergency, but Thomas hurried inside anyway just in case.

Quickly spotting Robin among the crowd, Thomas headed in that direction but stopped at a respectful distance when he realized his friend was in the middle of a conversation with someone tall who had his back to him. Robin noticed him several moments later and gestured for him to approach.

As he started forward towards the two men, Thomas was finally able to recognize who Robin was speaking with – Tom Selleck.

Nerves he didn’t usually feel welled up within him, and all he could stupidly think was: _Whoa…He’s taller than I thought he was_. When he joined the group, Robin introduced them, and they started chatting. By sheer force of willpower, Thomas managed to not make a complete fool of himself despite mentioning his mom’s love of Selleck’s P.I. show before he’d had to resume his duties.

As he walked away, Magnum’s thoughts were on his mom, and how thrilled she would’ve been to hear that he’d met Tom Selleck.

ooooooo

**_A week and a half later_ …**

When Thomas returned from his swim, he found a package on the kitchen counter waiting for him.

Just inside the box was a note from Robin, thanking him for going above and beyond regarding heading up his security detail while in Los Angeles. Masters also admitted his meeting Tom Selleck hadn’t been by chance. Robin had engineered it after both Rick and T.C., independently of each other, had mentioned to Masters about the weekly ritual he’d had with his mom in watching Selleck’s T.V. show.

Thomas grinned and shook his head in wonder. It wasn’t often that his friends could get one over on him like that. Setting the note down, Thomas dug into the packing materials and pulled out an autographed edition of the complete T.V. series of _Reagan P.I_.* on Blu-ray. With a wide smile on his face, he decided to watch his mother’s favorite episode as soon as he could change into dry clothes.

ooooooo

** Story Notes: **

\--The Dolby Theatre, formally known as the Kodak Theatre, is the venue where the Academy Awards/Oscars take place every year. I felt it was an appropriate place for the premiere considering version three of this story.

\--Due to Magnum P.I. being a reboot, I had to choose another name for the series when Tom Selleck starred in it in the 1980s, and decided to go with the surname of the character he currently plays on _Blue Bloods_ , Frank Reagan. 

ooooooo

**_The end._ **

**ooooooo**

**Author's Note:**

> Thomas’s views on Supernatural are not mine. :D I can’t guarantee they will be written, but if you have any ideas for actors or other things you’d like to see please let me know. 
> 
> Many thanks to Celticgal1041 for proofing. Any remaining mistakes are my fault. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> *Please do not repost or use this or any of my other works on another site or app without my knowledge or consent. Fanfiction.net and Archive of Our Own are the only two sites (as AZGirl on both) where my fiction should be posted. Thank you!


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